Rachel Claire Ward is an English-Australian actress, film director, screenwriter, and television director. Born on 12 September 1957, she has made significant contributions to the film industry, primarily in Australia.

Ward is also an award-winning author known for writing adult crime books, YA thrillers, and non-fiction. Her first book, Numbers, about a girl who can see death dates, won numerous awards in the UK and globally, being published in 26 countries and optioned for film/TV. Her cozy crime series, The Supermarket Mysteries, has been successful on the Amazon top 20 Cozy Mystery chart. She also writes psychological thrillers under the name R. M. Ward, including the notable Safe With You.

Aside from writing, Rachel hosts a monthly crime book chat on Twitter with the hashtag #cosycrimeclub and is an artist and photographer who has exhibited locally. She lives in Bath, UK, with her husband and two dogs, often sharing cheerful photographs to brighten her followers' days.